The goal of this research is to discover, understand and develop hypotheses about the ways in which social roles and their perceived norms influence women, aged 35 to 55 years and at three different life cycle stages, and motivate their preventive dietary behavior and thus potentially modify their risk of breast cancer. This research is undertaken to establish a basis for dietary interventions directed at helping women who are members of the population at risk for breast cancer prevention. The research will be conducted through intensive open-ended interviews with 30 to 50 women. Subjects to be interviewed will be chosen from local community groups by life cycle stage. Life cycle stages will provide the framework for discovering patterns of nutritional motivations during the middle years when significant family and personal transitions are expected to influence the personal significance of nutrition for women. Interviews will be analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Content analysis of food and nutrition articles in popular women's magazines will investigate the way social norms associated with women's motivations regarding dietary behavior are presented in the lay press. Understanding the ways that social norms, roles and expectations influence the practice of preventive dietary behaviors will enable health professionals to design educational programs which take advantage of women's existing conceptual and motivational frameworks and are therefore more likely to achieve success.